Guide means for tape-shaped carriers



Jan. 11, 1966 G. BAKos ETAL 3,229,045

GUIDE MEANS FOR TAPE-SHAPED CARRIERS Filed oct. 17. leso 15 16 Z Cgi/V' IL/ INVENTOR GYORGY BAKOS JOHANNES G.C. KOKE United States Patent O Filed Oct. 17, 1960, Ser. No. 63,100 Claims priority, application Netherlands, Nov. 14, 1959,

7 s Claims. (ci. 17e-100.2)

The invention relates to a device for recording or scanning records, preferably magnetic records, on a tap-eshaped carrier which is guided in the transverse direction by guide members engaging the carrier edges. The guide members are in the proximity of the recording and scanning positions.

In known guiding devices the guide members may be formed by the anges of guide rollers or of stationary pins. With these rollers or pins it is usually not possible to adapt the distance between the anges to differences in width between different carriers or to any tolerances in the width of a single carrier; therefore, if the tape is purposely not guided on one side of the anges, it is nevertheless possible for this tape to move a certain amount in the transverse direction or to be jammed between the flanges.

In accordance with the invention the guide members are formed by stationary stops which are staggered along the longitudinal direction of the carrier.

The invention provides the advantage that a very simple structure allows the adjustment of the stops not only to different widths of tape, but also to tolerances in the width of a single tape in a simple and effective manner; this can be done, if desired, during operation. Tolerances in the dimensions of the guide members can be compensated by the adjustment, so that there is no need for great accuracy in the manufacture of these members.

In one particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention the stationary stops consist of lange-like parts of the pins and are adjustable in the transverse direction of the carrier.

Since the pins are staggered along the longitudinal direction of the tape, each can be adjusted separately in a simple manner to obtain the correct positions. If the aforesaid staggered positions were not used, the structure required to permit a separate adjustment of the stops would be comparatively complicated.

One one side of the carrier provision is preferably made of two stationary stops while on the other side of the carrier one stationary stop is provided, the latter being positioned between the former. Thus, the path of this carrier is completely determined in the transverse direction between the two stationary stops on the one side of the carrier.

In order to utilize this transverse arrangement to the optimum the stops are arranged, in accordance with a further aspect of the invention, viewed in the direction of movement of the carrier, in front of the scanning position or the recording position and between the said position and the one where the carrier is driven at a uniform speed, and, if desired, also between the scanning and recording positions.

Thus, during the recording and/ or scanning operation, the path of the carrier is completely determined. If the scanning position coincides with the recording position, it is of course evident that it is not possible to provid-e a stop between them.

The invention will be described more fully with reference to one embodiment, shown diagrammatically, of a 3,229,045 Patented Jan. 11, 1956 ICC device for recording and/ or reproducing magnetic records on a tape.

FIGURE 1 is a front view of the transverse guiding of a tape at the area of the heads.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the device shown in FIG- URE 1.

A tape 1 is moved by means of a shaft 2 with uniform speed in the direction of the arrow 3 by urging the tape 1 in known manner (not shown) against the shaft 2. The tape 1 engages, in the transport direction, an erasing head 4, a recording head 5 and a reproducing head 6. To an upper mounting plate 7 are fastened pins 8, 9 and 10 between the erasing head 4 and the recording head 5, between the recording head 5 and the reproducing head 6 and finally between the reproducing head 6 and the shaft 2 respectively. At their ends these pins are provided with flanges 11, 12 and 13 respectively; flanges 11 and 13 engage the lower side of the tape 1 and the flange 12 engages the upper side of the tape. Since the pins 8, 9 and 10 are adjustable in their longitudinal direction by means of screw thread and counter-nuts 14, 15 and 16 respectively with respect to the mounting plate 7, a very simple, accurate, and positive transverse adjustment of the tape can be achieved. This is particularly important with the use of recording and reproducing devices for professional purposes, where the requirements for recording and reproduction are sensitive and critical. If desired, the recording head 5 and the reproducing head 6 may be replaced by a combined head. In this case the pin 8 is arranged downstream of the erasing head, and the pin 9 downstream of the combined recording-reproducing head.

One embodiment of the invention has been described above. It is to be understood that various other modifications and embodiments will occur to persons skilled in the art within the purview of the inventive concept, the scope of which is de-limited in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device for recording and/or reproducing records on a tape-shaped carrier being moved in the direction of its longitudinal dimension and having edges defining its lateral dimension, guide means for said carrier comprising a plurality of guide members iixed in position during the movement of the carrier, each engaging only one edge of the carrier, means for individually adjusting said guide members in the direction of said lateral dimension, said members being successively staggered along the edges of the carrier and being spaced from each other along the longitudinal dimension of the carrier such that any two successive guide members engage diierent edges of the carrier.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein three guide members are provided, two of said members engaging one edge of the carrier and the other member eng-aging the other edge of the carrier and being located between the iirst two members.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said guide members are constituted by pins having ange-like end portions which engage the carrier edges, the pins being adjustably positioned on a stationary mounting plate.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein three guide members are provided, two of said members engaging one edge of the carrier and the other member engaging the other edge of the carrier and being located between the iirst two members.

. 5. Apparatus for recording and/or reproducing records comprising: a record/reproduce head, an erase head, a tape-shaped carrier adapted to move in its longitudinal dimension past said heads and having edges defining its lateral dimension, guide means for said carrier comprising a plurality of guide members fixed in position during the edges of the carrier and being spaced from each othery along the longitudinal dimension of the carrier such .that any two successive guide members engage different edges of the carrier, one guide member being located downlocated downstream of the record-reproduce head.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS IRVING L. SRAGOW, Primary Examiner. stream of the erase head and another guide member being 10 NEWTON N. LovEWELL, BERNARD KoNIcK,

Examiners. 

1. IN A DEVICE FOR RECORDING AND/OR REPRODUCING RECORDS ON A TAPE-SHAPED CARRIER BEING MOVED IN THE DIRECTION OF ITS LONGITUDINAL DIMENSION AND HAVING EDGES DEFINING ITS LATERAL DIMENSION, GUIDE MEANS FOR SAID CARRIER COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF GUIDE MEMBERS FIXED IN POSITION DURING THE MOVEMENT OF THE CARRIER, EACH ENGAGING ONLY ONE END OF THE CARRIER, MEANS FOR INDIVIDUALLY ADJUSTING SAID GUIDE MEMBERS IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID LATERAL DIMENSION, SAID MEMBERS BEING SUCCESSIVELY STAGGERED ALONG THE EDGES OF THE CARRIER AND BEING SPACED FROM EACH OTHER ALONG THE SUCCESSIVE GUIDE MEMBERS ENGAGE DIFFERENT EDGES OF THE SUCCESSIVE GUIDE MEMBERS ENGAGE DIFFERENT EDGES OF THE CARRIER. 